EU Leaders Meet To Tackle Rising Fuel Prices, Rule Of Law Issues

EU leaders are to meet on Thursday for talks that were due to be dedicated dramatically rising energy prices, but now look set to be overshadowed by a showdown with Poland over the supremacy of EU law, Ella Joyner and Laura Dubois reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

Photo Insert: The question of energy prices, with the specter of a citizen backlash against the planned EU transition to renewable energies hovering over the 27 leaders, has proven to be a divisive issue.

A recent Polish Constitutional Court ruling that parts of EU law were incompatible with its own national constitution has brought years of simmering tensions over rule-of-law issues to a head once again.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen vowed to respond, threatening fresh legal action. Warsaw is doubling down, accusing EU officials of unfairly singling them out and overstepping treaty-based powers.

It is unclear how the dispute can be de-escalated. The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg want to take a hard line, but Germany has stressed the importance of dialogue.

Less explosive but also divisive is the question of energy prices, with the specter of a citizen backlash against the planned EU transition to renewable energies hovering over the 27 leaders.

Last week, the commission presented a so-called "toolbox" of measures member states can implement to shield consumers from surging heating and electricity bills. Options include lowering taxes, direct payments to vulnerable households, or state aid for small businesses.

But Spain and France are calling for more far-reaching measures on the EU level. Among the proposals are joint gas storage and procurement - though a consensus on this is far from likely.

France has also called for an overhaul of the system for electricity pricing in Europe. Paris is at the same time using the situation to promote nuclear energy, which is unpopular in Berlin, for instance. Poland also accused the Russian gas giant Gazprom of withholding gas deliveries and contributing to the price hike

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